With the Help of God - Ealú TG4

I'm glad that's over! I was nervous before the TG4 screening of Ealú on Thursday night. (Repeat this Monday 12 March at 00.10 and should be available on TG4 Player after that). I had seen a preview of the programme in Sligo last year but it's different when you know lots of people are watching. I hadn't realised that I appeared so often in it.

Anyway Magamedia and Paddy Hayes did a great job telling the story in an economical fashion. The use of reconstruction was very effective within what presumably is a very limited budget. As was the use of newsreel from the period, none of it from Sligo as far as I am aware.

Having just completed my umpteenth edit of the Sligo 1912-1923 manuscript where every word, every nuance of meaning is important I kept wanting to change parts of the script and shout It wasn't exactly like that actually, that's gives a wrong idea or The facts don't actually bear that out. I did like the fact that at one stage myself and another historian disagreed about the significance of the IRA breaking down Sligo gaol door.

Now to finish the last edit of the history book and the poetry collection and organise the launch of Boyne Berries 11.